Miami XR 2026 was two unforgettable days of discovery, connection, and creativity. The XR community explored groundbreaking research, heard inspiring talks, tried hands-on demos, participated in interactive sessions, and was inspired by keynote speakers and lively after-hours events.
Miami XR 2026 Year Two: Creating Worlds, Changing Futures was full of fresh ideas, new collaborations, and experiences that sparked creativity, helped shape careers, and changed the future of immersive media.
Agenda
Day 1 • February 12
Location Knight Center for Music Innovation, 5513 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
| 5:00 PM | Registration + Cocktail Hour Opens |
| 5:30 PM | Conference Opening and University of Miami Welcome |
| 6:00 PM | Lightning Talks (Round 1) |
| 6:35 PM | Keynote Speaker | Bruce Vaughn, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Imagineering |
| 7:30 PM | Closing Remarks | Tom Merrick |
| 8:00 PM | Networking Cocktails/Dinner, Regatta Grove |
Day 2 • February 13
Location Shalala Student Center Ballroom, 1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
| 9:00 AM | Registration Opens | Breakfast + Demos |
| 10:00 AM | Welcome Remarks |
| 10:10 AM | Sponsor Acknowledgement + Remarks |
| 10:20 AM | Lightning Talks (Round 2) |
| 10:40 AM | Keynote Speaker | Chris Dede EdD, Senior Research Fellow @ Harvard University Graduate School of Education |
| 11:30 AM | PANEL 1: Industry | Moderated by Kim Grinfeder Eric J. Gonzalez PhD, Research Scientist @ Google Denise Mendez BSSE, Principal Software Engineer @ Microsoft Mixed Reality Greg Morwick PhD, Director, Product Management/Digital Experience + Head of Innovation @ Royal Caribbean |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch | Demos |
| 1:30 PM | Lightning Talks (Round 3) |
| 1:50 PM | Keynote Speaker | Monica Arés MEd, Director of Content, Transformation, and Worldwide Learning @ Microsoft |
| 2:35 PM | Break |
| 2:45 PM | PANEL 2: XR Education at the U | Moderated by Tom Merrick William Scott Green PhD, Professor of Religious Studies @ UM College of Arts and Sciences Karen Rose Mathews PhD, Associate Professor @UM Dept. of Art and Art History Daniel Serravite PhD, Kinesiology Lecturer @ UM School of Education and Human Development Shai Cohen PhD, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Modern Languages and Literature @ UM College of Arts and Sciences |
| 3:15 PM | Break |
| 3:30 PM | Keynote Speaker | Kimberly Hieftje PhD, Assoc. Professor of Pediatrics @ Yale University School of Medicine |
| 4:15 PM | Panel 3: XR Health | Moderated by Gauri Agarwal, MD FACP Giselle Ricur MD, Executive Director of Virtual Care @ Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Greta Mitzova-Vladinov, Professor and Director Nurse Anesthesia Program @ UM School of Nursing and Health Studies Julia Apelian Scott PhD, Neuroscientist and Bioengineering Lecturer @ Santa Clara University |
| 4:45 PM | Closing Remarks Kim Grinfeder |
| 4:50 PM | Networking Reception |
| 6:00 PM | Event Ends |
Featured Speakers
Keynote Speaker • Day 1 |
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Bruce Vaughn
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| As president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn leads the global, multidisciplinary team behind the concept, design and delivery of Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resorts, cruise ships and entertainment experiences. Collaborating with peers across Disney Experiences and the company, Bruce focuses on innovative ways to transform Disney’s extensive collection of beloved franchises, characters and stories into groundbreaking immersive experiences that delight guests around the world.
Bruce began at Imagineering in 1993 as a senior technical specialist and went on to roles of increasing responsibility. Beyond his work at Imagineering, he has been involved in efforts across various divisions of The Walt Disney Company that include Consumer Products, Feature Animation, Location-Based Entertainment, Music, Television, and Theatrical. Bruce departed Imagineering in 2016 to serve as CEO and CCO of Dreamscape Immersive, where he worked to advance virtual reality technologies to create an entirely new form of mainstream location-based entertainment. He later moved on to Airbnb, where he was vice president, experiential creative product, before rejoining Imagineering in 2023. |
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Keynote Speaker • Day 2 |
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Chris Dede
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| Chris Dede is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was for 22 years its Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies. His fields of scholarship include emerging technologies, policy, and leadership. From 2001-04, he was Chair of the HGSE Department of Teaching and Learning. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as an outstanding teacher, and in 2011, he was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Online Learning Consortium. And in 2024, he was named a Scholar of the Immersive Learning Research Network.
In 2020, Chris co-founded the Silver Lining for Learning initiative. He is currently an Advisor to the Alliance for the Future of Digital Learning, sponsored by the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiative (MBRGI). Also, Chris is a Co-Principal Investigator and Associate Director for Research of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education. His most recent co-edited books include: Teacher Learning in the Digital Age: Online Professional Development in STEM Education; Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Realities in Education; Learning engineering for online education: Theoretical contexts and design-based examples; and The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy. |
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Keynote Speaker • Day 2 |
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Monica Arés
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| As the former Head of Immersive Learning at Meta and a pioneering leader on Interactive Learning Labs at Amazon, Monica Arés is a visionary and leading figure in the field of immersive learning. She is dedicated to developing innovative products, programs, and content to make learning more powerful and accessible.
Monica is a leading expert in immersive technology, using it to empower people to learn, connect, and create in ways they never could before. She is deeply committed to using XR technology to increase access to education and fundamentally transform the way we learn. The Future of Learning: XR technology has opened up new pathways, transforming how people learn. Free from the constraints of the physical classroom, learners today can unleash curiosity, explore, and connect through virtual worlds, 3D simulations, and immersive experiences. Whether it’s taking a virtual field trip back in time, participating in a simulated lab experiment, practicing a new skill, or learning to create XR experiences–immersive technology offers one of the most promising solutions for education the industry has ever seen. Monica has been featured in Forbes, EdTech Magazine, and Meta’s own Immersive Learning Initiative, and she continues to serve as a speaker and advisor shaping the future of learning at conferences and institutions worldwide. |
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Keynote Speaker • Day 2 |
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Kimberly Hieftje, PhDAssociate Professor of Pediatrics |
| Kimberly Hieftje, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Yale Pediatrics and co-director/co-founder of XRPeds and the Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics, which focuses on the development and evaluation of videogame interventions using extended reality (virtual reality, augmented reality, etc) for health prevention and promotion, behavior change, and education in adolescents and young adults. She is currently involved in the development and testing of several health behavior change XR and game-based interventions and has published frequently on developing, evaluating, and implementing serious games. She has worked on games that have focused on topics including vaping/e-cigarette prevention, tobacco use prevention, risk reduction in adolescents, HIV/STI prevention, HIV/STI testing, empowering girls around healthy decision making, bystander intervention, LGBTQ bullying, school climate, and alcohol harm reduction.
Dr. Hieftje was a K12 Scholar in the Yale Implementation Science program (YSIS), where she focused on understanding the factors associated with successful implementation of videogame interventions in schools. Dr. Hieftje is also the editor-in-chief at the Games for Health Journal. |
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President and Chief Creative Officer
Senior Research Fellow
Director of Content Transformation & Worldwide Learning
Panelists
Guari Agarwal, MD, FACPAssociate Professor of Clinical Medicine |
Shai Cohen, PhDSenior Lecturer |
Tom Collins, PhDAssociate Professor |
| Dr. Agarwal has been on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard Medical School prior to returning to the University of Miami in 2007, where she has been inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha and the Iron Arrow Honor Society. She founded Obliterants, the medical school’s first humanities journal, and has won many teaching awards including the American College of Physicians Medical Educator Award and the Leonard Tow award for Humanism in Medicine. Her research interests focus on medical education, interprofessional education, and medical humanities, with work presented globally and published in leading journals. | Dr. Shai Cohen finished his undergraduate degree in Pau, France, an MA in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and one at the University of Granada. He earned his PhD from the University of Navarra, Spain. He published “El poder de la palabra: la sátira política contra el conde duque de Olivares” (CSIC, 2019), that explores the relation between political satire and government in 17th century Spain. Dr. Cohen has published collective volumes, numerous articles and book chapters. Cohen is the creator and curator of Sephardi Spaces Project that traces Sephardi migration paths and the formation of their identity. Alongside his research, he is also active in the field of XR/AI and pedagogy, and Digital Humanities as the initiator and coordinator of various projects and workshops (curator and active consultant of the GRISOSFERA project). He taught at universities in Spain, Montenegro, Italy, and the US, where he is currently teaching at the University of Miami. | Tom Collins is Associate Professor of Music Engineering Technology at the Frost School of Music and Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab. His research focuses on the development and application of machine learning techniques for music-analytical and music-generative tasks, leading to collaborations with GRAMMY Award-winning artists on songs co-created with AI. The lab also works on audio and music in extended reality (XR/AR/VR), AI for podcasting and game audio, and pattern discovery algorithms. His UMverse-funded Marine Music project investigates using music to enhance immersion, recall, and comprehension in XR experiences focused on marine life through a collaboration between the Frost School of Music and Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. |
Eric J. GonzalezResearch Scientist |
William Scott Green, PhDProfessor of Religious Studies |
 
Luiza JustusCreative Development |
| Eric J. Gonzalez is a Research Scientist in the Blended Interaction Research & Devices (BIRD) Lab, where he works on advancing human-computer interaction for extended reality (XR). His research is broadly focused on novel input & interaction techniques and real-time AI-mediated experiences, and has led to over 25 publications. Previously, Eric received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2022 and B.S. from the University of Florida in 2016, with research internships completed at Microsoft Research and Meta Reality Labs. His work has been recognized with multiple awards at top-tier HCI venues, including a SIGCHI Special Recognition for industry-academia collaboration. | William Scott Green is Professor of Religious Studies and the Fain Family Endowed Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Miami. He has written widely on ancient Judaism, the study of religion, and higher education, with fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation. He served as editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and was educational director of archaeological excavations in the Galilee and Tuscany. His current teaching and scholarly interests include the evolution of religion, the nature of propaganda and genocide, and religion, architecture, and the metaverse. | Luiza Justus is an experience designer, storyteller, and creative leader dedicated to transforming bold ideas into worlds people can feel. As Head of the Inception Team at ARVORE, she leads concept development for mixed reality games—shaping early-stage ideas, building prototypes, and exploring the intersection of creativity and emerging technology. Previously, she co-founded Supersocial and served as Chief Creative Officer, where she led the creation of branded virtual worlds and original IPs for Roblox. Her background spans film, advertising, and immersive entertainment, including writing and directing The Shitshow Hour, a sci-fi dark comedy that premiered at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, and script editing The Line, an Emmy-winning interactive narrative. Across every medium, Luiza brings together imagination and execution to craft experiences that inspire wonder and connection. |
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Karen Rose Mathews, PhDAssociate Professor of Art History |
Denise MendezPrincipal Software Engineer |
 
Gregory MorwickDirector, Product Management/Digital Experience |
| Karen Rose Mathews is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Miami where she teaches classes on ancient art, medieval art, Spanish art, and Islamic art. Her research interests address the material culture of the medieval and early modern Mediterranean as well as the use of digital technologies in art historical pedagogy and research. | Denise Mendez is a transforming innovator and Principal Software Developer on Microsoft’s Mixed Reality team, where she builds end-to-end data observability systems connecting hardware, cloud, and user experience. Previously at Magic Leap, she developed telemetry and business-intelligence platforms and architected spatial computing solutions for education. Earlier at Motorola, she advanced test-systems architecture for next-generation mobile technology and global supply-chain engineering. A passionate STEAM advocate, Denise works to expand equitable learning outcomes and thrives in multicultural settings—drawing on her experience with global teams, proficiency in Mandarin and Portuguese, and formative engineering work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. | With 8 years at Royal Caribbean and 15 years at Disney Parks and Resorts Digital, Greg Morwick is a veteran innovator in the hospitality industry. He currently leads initiatives to scout and prototype the next generation of guest-facing technologies, from AI-driven platforms to immersive media. His portfolio includes the successful launch of the upgraded “WOW bands” on the Star of the Seas, “pesky” animatronic parrot drinking buddies, multi billion dollar revenue generating commerce engines and more. Greg is actively evaluating a number of AR/VR usecases/technologies to enhance the way Royal develops products and surprises & delights its guests. |
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Greta Mitzova-VladinovAssociate Professor of Art History |
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| Dr. Mitzova-Vladinov, DNP CRNA CHSE APRN is a nurse anesthesia educator and a practicing nurse anesthetist. She is an innovator and a leader in Virtual Reality anesthesia simulation, recognized nationally as an expert in simulation-based education. She has completed the Harvard-based Center for Medical Simulation instructor course and is a certified healthcare simulation educator (CHSE). She has numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international and national conferences in the field of clinical anesthesia, education, and simulation. Dr. Mitzova-Vladinov is one of the founders of the Simulation Subcommittee of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists’ (AANA) and was appointed as chair of the committee for FY 2022. She was elected Vice-Chair for the Section of Anesthesia in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) for FY 2022-2024. | Dr. Ricur is an ophthalmologist and digital health specialist with expertise in the design and implementation of hybrid models for telemedicine. She is focused on enhancing care and optimum outcomes for Bascom Palmer patients using the latest information and communication technologies as well as the most innovative digital tools in virtual healthcare. | Dr. Julia A. Scott is a neuroscientist and bioengineering lecturer at Santa Clara University, where she directs the Brain and Memory Care Lab and serves as a faculty scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. As Chief Scientific Officer of Gambit Labs, she designs game-based, biofeedback interventions for teen ADHD. Dr. Scott’s research focuses on the validation of neuromodulation and digital therapeutics for cognitive and mental health. Her work also addresses the safety and privacy implications of AI-enabled technologies in healthcare. She led the development of an immersive dementia caregiver program licensed for commercialization. She chairs the Medical Council at XRSI, authoring safety guidelines for medical XR and neurotechnology at the intersection of AI and human rights. Dr. Scott earned her PhD in Neuroscience from UC Davis and advises multiple digital health companies on scientific frameworks and clinical trial design. She serves on the board of directors of Content for Good and Virtual World Society. |
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Daniel Serravite, PhDKinesiology Lecturer |
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| Daniel Serravite is a kinesiology lecturer in the School of Education and Human Development who is pioneering the integration of virtual and augmented reality tools into anatomy education with the help of the UMverse initiative. Dr. Serravite is an accomplished Sport Scientist with 25+ years of experience working with high performance athletes and specialized expertise in youth athletes, sports nutrition and education. He is passionate about integrating evidence-based information and state-of-the-art technology to create unique student-centered learning experiences, allowing students more exposure and individual contact time with anatomical models to maximize learning opportunities. | Tim Stutts is a pioneering product designer and leader, who spent the last two decades working in software user experience, including user interface, input, sensory feedback, and data visualization, for loT, extended reality, neurotech, and beyond. Tim has worked on XR applications for Honda, Magic Leap, PTC Vuforia and Cognixion. Recently he has shifted his focus further upstream, providing early stage research and guidance surrounding product development opportunities in surgical robotics at Stryker.
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Submit your work to Miami XR 2026
Choose the format that best tells your story. We welcome submissions from students, artists, developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs at all levels.
- Lightning Talks: Deliver a high-impact, 5-minute presentation on your research, project, or bold idea. It’s perfect for sharing a key insight or a work-in-progress.
- Interactive Demos: Let people experience your work firsthand! Showcase your cutting-edge XR application, hardware, or interactive project in a hands-on environment.
- Posters: Present your research or creative project in a dynamic, visual format. This is a great opportunity to engage directly with attendees and spark new conversations during our dedicated poster sessions.
Submissions Deadline Extended to: January 22, 2026
Apply To . . .
Be a Guest Speaker • Demo Products • Showcase Research Posters
Let’s build the immersive future together in the heart of Miami. We can’t wait to see what you’ve created!
Content Themes
Connect with industry leaders, researchers, and future collaborators to sharpen your skills, build smarter, explore the latest in XR technology, and discover opportunities that could launch your career in XR.
- Augmenting Human Potential Explore how immersive technologies enhance human capabilities, from wearables to AR overlays, helping us think, work, and collaborate in entirely new ways.
- Designing Worlds, Building Communities Learn how XR storytelling and design foster belonging, creativity, and collaboration across disciplines, industries, and cultures.
- Shaping the Future of Learning Discover how XR and AI are transforming classrooms, training, and lifelong learning to create more personalized, engaging educational experiences.
- From Lab to Market Gain insights into how cutting-edge XR research moves from prototypes to real-world applications and discover pathways for students, startups, and industry innovators.
- XR in Health and Well-Being See how immersive media is being used in healthcare, therapy, and wellness to change the way we understand, diagnose, and heal.
- The Next Creative Frontier Experience how artists, designers, and storytellers are pushing XR beyond tools into a powerful medium for imagination and cultural expression.
- Miami as a Living Lab Celebrate the unique role of Miami as a global crossroads where technology, art, and diverse communities intersect to shape the future of immersive media.
Ticket Pricing
Tickets were $75 for members of the XR community.
Admission was FREE for UM faculty, staff, and students.
UM Community: To claim your free ticket, please email idsc@miami.edu from your miami.edu email address to receive the PROMO CODE.
Connect with Our Sponsors | Become a Sponsor
We are deeply grateful to our sponsors. Their support not only helped keep attendance at Miami XR affordable, but also fueled student opportunities and advanced XR research at the University of Miami. This conference would not be possible without their partnership and commitment to innovation.
- serl.io
- Ribeiro Innovation Fund
- Open Visualization Academy by Alberto Cairo
- UM Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
- Kappa Theta Pi (Sigma Chapter)
- PivoraTech
- UMverse
- UM School of Communication
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Questions?
Contact Tom Merrick at txm2025@miami.edu • Follow UMverse on LinkedIn
Venues
| Day 1 Knight Center for Music Innovation 5513 San Amaro Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146Map + Directions |
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| Day 2 Shalala Student Center Ballroom 1330 Miller Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146Map + Directions |
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Parking
Reserved parking was available exclusively for registered Miami XR 2026 attendees. Access to reserved parking was limited.
PARKING DAY 1 @ Lot 504A—Show Registration to Lot Attendant for entry (see map). Overflow parking located in Pavia Garage.
PARKING DAY 2 @ Pavia Garage 1st floor—Entrance on Pavia Street. Stop at entry booth. Park where directed, then register (free) with Pay by Phone app: https://www.offstreet.io/events/ZQE22IKK. You will need your license plate #. Enter code: 11830. Parking valid 8AM-6PM.
Where to Stay
We recommend staying in Coconut Grove, a vibrant waterfront neighborhood just minutes from the University of Miami campus.
Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove is known for its stunning views of Biscayne Bay, waterfront parks, open-air dining, and bustling nightlife. This historic neighborhood offers an artsy, tropical vibe with boutique shops, galleries, and tree-lined streets–all within easy walking distance. The area combines Old Florida charm with modern Miami energy.
Getting to Campus: From central Coconut Grove, it’s a 1 mile (1.6 km) walk to the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station. Take the Metrorail 2 stops south to University Station, then it’s a half mile walk to the University of Miami Newman Alumni Center.
Recommended Hotels
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Hotel Arya 3.9 mi
2889 McFarlane Road 4 blocks from central Coconut Grove. Near Fresh Market. 1 mile walk to Metrorail Station. |
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Courtyard by Marriott 3.3 mi
2649 S Bayshore Dr 4 blocks from central Coconut Grove. Near Fresh Market. 1 mile walk to Metrorail Station. |
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Hampton Inn by Hilton 3.0 mi
2800 SW 28th Terrace 1 block from Coconut Grove Metrorail Station. Approx. 1 mile walk to central Coconut Grove district. |
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The Mutiny 3.4 mi
2951 S Bayshore Drive 1.1 miles from Coconut Grove Metrorail Station. 2 blocks to central Coconut Grove district. UM Corporate Rate: Use code UMCG |
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Courtyard Marriott 4 mi
2051 S Le Jeune Road Walk 2 blocks east on Alcazar Avenue to Ponce de Leon Blvd. to catch free Trolley going south to Douglas Station. Take Metrorail 1 stop south to University Station. Walk .5 mile to Newman Alumni Center. |
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Hotel Ponce de Leon 3.9 mi
1721 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Cross Ponce de Leon Blvd. to catch free Trolley at Madeira Avenue going south to Douglas Station. Take Metrorail 1 stop south to University Station. Walk .5 mile to Newman Alumni Center. |
View Full Accommodations Guide | Where To Eat
Conference Organizers
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Thomas Merrick PROJECT MANAGER XR Initiatives UM School of Communication Department of Interactive Media |
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Anna Queiroz ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR UM School of Communication Department of Interactive MediaCORE FACULTY Creative Technologies Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) |
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Kim Grinfeder
UNIVERSITY UMverse LEAD |
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Evelyn Cruz
DIRECTOR, Business Operations |
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Thomas Sydnor
PRESIDENT |
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Mia Uy
PROJECT MANAGER, The VESL CO-FOUNDER |
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Jacqueline Green-Allen ADMIN. ASSISTANT and EVENTS COORDINATOR Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) |
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Alyssa Littman
PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR |
